First Peter - Lorin

God who called you: ὁ καλέσας ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον αὐτοῦ δόξαν ἐν Χριστῷ. The language of divine
calling into salvation here echoes what was stated in 1:15 (κατὰ τὸν καλέσαντα ὑμᾶς ἅγιον) and 2:9 (τοῦ ἐκ
σκότους ὑμᾶς καλέσαντος εἰς τὸ θαυμαστὸν αὐτοῦ φῶς). Believers have been invited by God to experience
His presence and His life. Earlier the emphasis was on this world, but here in 5:10 the focus is the eschatological.
His glory (αὐτοῦ δόξαν) is His divine Presence that continues for all eternity. 29 This divine calling is
defined as having coming “in Christ” (ἐν Χριστῷ). The absence of the article before Χριστῷ stresses connection
of this prepositional phrase with the participle καλέσας rather than with the noun δόξαν. 30 The calling of God
came in Christ and His work of redemption on the cross. Thus as Peter moves toward finishing up his letter
he reaches back to the emphasis on divine grace and calling to encourage his readers to steadfastness in
facing their trials.
The time qualifier: ὀλίγον παθόντας, after you have suffered for a little while. When do these promises of
God take effect? The Aorist participle παθόντας together with the temporal adverb ὀλίγον signal that after a
short period of suffering we can count on God’s renewal and strengthening presence. Peter has already asserted
God’s help during the time of suffering: 1:6; 2:12, 19, 20; 3:9, 14, 16, 17; 4:1, 6, 12–16, 19; 5:9. Does
God step away from believers after helping them through suffering? This climatic affirmation in 5:10 asserts
that God stands with believers not just during their trials but afterwards as well, when He begins the recovery
and healing process from the ‘wounds’ brought about by the suffering.
Peter gives to his readers a wonderful promise from God at the end of his letter: God commits Himself
to take care of you when you face persecution. When you are ‘wounded’ by such suffering, He will restore
you and put you back together again emotionally and spiritually. It’s not that He only helps you while you are
suffering, He will also stand with you after you move through the trial to make sure that you are okay.
b. God’s praise, v. 11
To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.
αὐτῷ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἀμήν.
Notes: In light of such a marvelous promise from the Heavenly Father, Peter understandably moves
to offer up praise to God. The doxology is brief but pointed. Already he has concluded an eloquent encouragement
to prepare for facing trials with a similar word of praise; cf. 4:11, αὐτῷ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας
τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν (To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.). 31 Two distinctives surface with
this second doxology in 5:11. First, the term τὸ κράτος, power, is used rather than the most common terms ἡ
δόξα, or ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος. The latter is the pattern in 4:11. Second, the adverbial expression for “forever”
is different: εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας rather than εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. 32 The essential meaning remains the
29 “The eschatological goal of the divinely-called reborn believers is once more expressed: sharing in the glory of God (1:7;
4:11, 13, 14, 16; 5:4), as does Jesus Christ (1:11; 5:1). 2 Thessalonians 2:13–14 expresses a similar sentiment: “God chose you
… he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. also Rom 8:30; 9:23; 1 Thess
2:12).” [John H. Elliott, 1 Peter: A New Translation With Introduction and Commentary (New Haven; London: Yale University
Press, 2008), 865.]
30 “Since, however, the expression is used also in 3:16 and 5:14 to designate those who are in union with Christ (5:14) or the
conduct of those united with Christ (3:16), a trace of this sense may be present here as well. Christ has been glorified (1:11, 21; 4:13;
5:1) and shares in the glory of God (4:11d, 14, 16; 5:10b; cf. 2:12), so that all who are ‘in Christ’—that is, united with Christ—are
called to share in both God’s glory and Christ’s (1:7; 4:13, 14; 5:1, 4). The glory of God manifest in Christ belongs to those in union
with Christ. On the phrase ‘in Christ,’ see also the NOTES on 3:16 and 5:14.” [John H. Elliott, 1 Peter: A New Translation With
Introduction and Commentary (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 865.]
31 “Having assured his beleaguered readers of God’s certain care and support, the author concludes these consolatory words
and the letter as a whole with a celebratory doxology. Similar in form to the doxology of 4:11, where to kratos (‘the power’) also
appears, this praise of God affirms in particular the power that is God’s to accomplish the actions enumerated in v 10. The pronoun
autōi [‘him’], like the foregoing autos in v 10, has God (v 10a) as its antecedent. The implied verb of the ellipsis is estin (‘is’), as
in 4:11, rather than estō (‘to Him be’). Similar doxological formulations appear in Pss. Sol. 17:3 (to kratos tou theou hēmōn eis ton
aiōna met’ eleous, ‘the power of our God is forever with mercy’) and 1 Tim 6:16 (hōi timē kai kratos aiōnion, amēn, ‘His is honor
and eternal power, amen’; cf. Shimada 1966, 396–421). The noun ‘the power’ (to kratos) recalls the ‘powerful (krataian) hand
of God’ in v 6; the two related terms belong to the inclusion framing vv 5b/6–11. 767 By contrast, kratos never appears in Pauline
doxologies but is found in the doxologies of the Deutero-Pauline 1 Timothy (6:16) as well as Jude 25 and Rev 1:6 and 5:13.” [John
H. Elliott, 1 Peter: A New Translation With Introduction and Commentary (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 867-
68.]
32 One should note this very Jewish way of referring to eternity, which literally means “ages of ages.” All the New Testament
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